Joel began playing junior football for the Northern Territory’s Palmerston and later switched to the Wanderers Football Club where he made his Men’s Premier League debut for the club in 2018 at just 16 years of age. The following year, at 17 years of age, Joel debuted for for the NT Thunder at TIO Stadium and kicked a goal in his first game.

Joel was drafted to the Gold Coast Suns via their academy in December of 2020. He spent the first half of the 2021 season playing for Gold Coast in the VFL and continued to impress before earning his AFL senior debut against the Melbourne Demons at Metricon Stadium in Round 20.

In only his sixth AFL game, Joel remarkably kicked five goals against the Western Bulldogs, which included a Goal of the Year nomination. He was subsequently awarded a 2022 AFL Rising Star nomination for his performance.